Brazil's Bolsonaro to undergo hernia surgery on Thursday

SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 23 - Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has authorized former President Jair Bolsonaro to undergo a surgical procedure to treat a hernia on Thursday, according to a ruling seen by Reuters.

Moraes last week had allowed Bolsonaro to leave prison - where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup - for the procedure, but a date had not been set.

The former president's lawyers asked earlier on Tuesday that he be admitted to the DF Star hospital in Brasilia for tests on Wednesday and undergo surgery the next day.

Bolsonaro, who was stabbed in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign event, has a history of hospitalizations and surgeries related to the attack.

Earlier on Tuesday, the right-wing leader canceled a planned interview with news outlet Metropoles, citing health reasons, the outlet reported. Moraes had authorized him to give the interview from prison.

Financial markets have been closely watching as Bolsonaro was expected to formally endorse his eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, for a 2026 presidential bid.

"He is about to be hospitalized for surgery - some days he wakes up feeling well, other days worse. Today may have been a day when he woke up feeling more unwell," the senator said in a video posted on social media. REUTERS